Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Auntie..does Santa Clause Exist?

Last night, me and family putting up the Christmas tree with a new Christmas decorations (yes.. I did went to mall.. to get back my Christmas spirit.. hehehhe). My nephew and niece keep asking me “ Auntie..auntie..is Santa exist? How we know there is Santa Clause? Is he always wearing red and fat?.” One thing about my nephew and niece is, they will keep asking till they get the convincing answers. They are still too little and too curious to know. I don’t want to disappoint them and I’ll do my best to give an ‘answer’ to them which they can keep till they grow up. So, I searched through internet to find the best ‘answers’. Not a fairy tales. So, I found this story which I can give to them tonight.

"In 1897, an eight year old girl named Virginia O'Hanlon was told by other children that there was no Santa Claus. She asked her father if Santa Claus really existed, but when her father tried to avoid the question, she decided to find someone who could tell her! Whenever their family had a question they couldn't answer, they wrote to their newspaper "The New York Sun," and asked for the answer. So little Virginia said, "Well, I'm just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,' Her father replied: "Go ahead, Virginia. I'm sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does."

The little girl's letter was mailed and came to the desk of one of the Sun's Editors, Francis P. Church. Mr. Church knew that he needed to answer the little girl's question truthfully. His answer would become one of the most famous editorials in American history! Mr. Church answered with "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”. the letter wrote by young Virginia is”

“I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so. Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?”

(Virginia O'Hanlon)

The answers from The Sun:

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

From The People's Almanac, pp. 1358-9.)

I might answer like this to my ‘kiddies’ hehehhe… “Santa Clause exists whenever you feel loves and spread the love to one another. We cant see Santa Claus but if we can feel the spirit of the Christmas.. Santa is there. And of course with the presence of Lord Jesus” Hopefully they will satisfy.

Or any other answers I can give to them? I don’t want to make it complicated on their age now.. Maybe I should learn also so that I can pass to my ‘future children’.. wakakkakaka…

10 comments:

I am sorry because I have a different view. I don't believe in Santa and i taught my son that love, hope , faith, perseverance , joy comes from Christ. Christ is the reason for celebrating Christmas. And those wrapped gifts...come from daddy and mummy, not Santa. Ahaks!

It depends on you I suppose, some people like to tell the children the non-existence of Santa Claus, but many tell them otherwise.

I will tell any kids, there is a Santa Claus, because a child is a child, and they're full of imagination. If you kill their imagination at such a young age, they'll be anal individuals in the latter parts of their lives.

Sweet! There's no Santa Clause. Just the feeling of a Santa Clause. And I agree with Willie. Santa Clause takes away all the glory from Christ, the One whose birth we are actually celebrating. When u ask all around what is the first thing kids remember about Christmas, it's either Santa Clause, presents, reindeer, gifts stockings, christmas tree etc... very very few will say Jesus Christ. Sad isnt it.

I agree with u all. Christ birth sure is. But dont 'kill' the magic from kids mind. Jesus come first before Santa. There is no Santa. Christ is the 'Santa' actually. Give all the faith,hope and love. With this three combinations.. then Santa 'exist'. When I told my nephew and niece.. they answered 'We know Christmas is for Christ birthday.. but who is Santa? is he Jesus elf?'. I just smiled.. they are smart kids..hehehhe

the real name of santa Claus is 'Nicholaus', or nicholas. On Christmas day he love bringing gifts to families around especially for the kids. This is a good image of nickolas, so they call him 'santa means saint' a good person, bringing gift of love. You want to make him exist? Very good...be santa claus for one another..everyday is Chrismas when u bring something good for others..a blessed Christmas to you all

i m also curious how santa claus come about.. haha.. all I know is christmas..the birth of Jesus Christ ....santa claus to me is someone generous.. when someone is generous, we call him/her santa claus...haha

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